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SEAWORLD CARES, 365 DAYS A YEAR
Water conservation, animal rescue and research are just a few examples of
environmental stewardship
SeaWorld® San Diego has been a global leader in marine animal care and welfare,
education, conservation, research and rescue for more than five decades. Every day, SeaWorld
educates and excites park guests, creating meaningful experiences that inspire them to not
only care more for wild animals and wild habitats, but also to act to help protect the
environment. While guests are enjoying all of the world-class animal shows, exhibits and
education programs SeaWorld is famous for, behind the scenes there is a mission—one that
has continued since the park’s inception—to care for the environment and the animals that
extends beyond the park’s borders.
SeaWorld Animal Rescue and Rehabilitation Program
Since 1965, SeaWorld® San Diego has rescued more than 16,000 animals, with sea lions, seals
and marine birds comprising the vast majority of those animals rescued. The park’s Rescue
Team also routinely comes to the aid of dolphins, whales and sea turtles. In 2015, SeaWorld
rescued a record-breaking number of California sea lions as a result of an Unusual Mortality
Event (UME) that caused juvenile sea lions to strand on beaches along the central and
Southern California coastline. The marine mammal species rescued in 2015 were: 990
California sea lions, 31 northern elephant seals, 24 harbor seals, 10 fur seals and two common
dolphins. The mammal team also responded to five entangled humpback whales and one fin
whale off the Southern California coast in 2015, successfully disentangling three of the
humpback whales. The park’s aquarium team came to the aid of three sea turtles, and the
park’s bird team also was busy, taking in and caring for 386 marine birds, including grebes,
pelicans, gulls, herons and dozens of other species.
To care for stranded animals, the SeaWorld Animal Rescue Center is equipped with state-ofthe-art tools, facilities and equipment to provide the best possible care for ill or injured wildlife:
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Critical care unit with built-in weighing scale
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Medical facility, which houses laboratory with latest diagnostic equipment, antibiotics,
intravenous fluids and other medications
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Surgical suite, which contains custom surgery table, X-ray, ultrasound, endoscopy and
anesthesia equipment
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Food preparation room, where special diets for rehabilitated animals are prepared

Examination room with digital radiograph system that communicates with the digital
radiograph storage server with all other SeaWorld and Busch Gardens® parks
o
Digital radiograph system features a wireless cesium plate that can be used at a
distance of up to 50 feet away from the laptop capture unit, enhancing the
portability for use in animal habitats in the park or in the wild; new cesium plate
is very sensitive, allowing for lower radiation yet providing high-quality images

40-inch viewer that allows SeaWorld's veterinarians to compare radiographs side by
side; large screen enables doctors to view radiographs in close detail when examining
for internal injuries

Boston Whaler with two 600-horsepower outboard engines; this 27-foot boat, named
Second Chance, is bigger and has a greater load carrying capacity than the previous
SEAWORLD CARES, 365 DAYS A YEAR
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SeaWorld rescue boat; it also has an unsinkable hull, a large dive door and state-ofthe-art navigation technology

Recovery areas, including pools and enclosures, tailored to meet the specific needs of
each rehabilitating animal
Once a rescued animal is medically rehabilitated and demonstrates to the animal care team
that it is able to fend for itself, it is returned to the ocean. To give these animals the best
chance at survival, SeaWorld often returns them to the ocean by boat. Sea lions, seals and
dolphins are typically returned anywhere from two to 15 miles off the coast in areas where
sufficient food sources are available and are populated by like species.
SeaWorld is part of the West Coast Marine Mammal Stranding Network, which is organized by
the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS). Members of the public, lifeguards and other
individuals report strandings to SeaWorld’s rescue hotline (800-541-SEAL) or on SeaWorld’s
website (www.SeaWorldSanDiego.com, click on Animals, then Report Stranded Animals).
SeaWorld team members respond, using guidelines governed by NMFS. Once rescued, animals
are nursed back to health and, whenever possible, returned to the wild. If an animal is deemed
not releasable, NMFS determines whether the animal is to remain at SeaWorld or to be cared
for at another facility.
Marine mammals such as seals, sea lions, sea otters, dolphins, whales, sea turtles and
seabirds may strand for a variety of reasons: illness, injury, exhaustion or separation from
their mother. Two of the most common conditions are malnutrition and dehydration. In
addition, animals also may become entangled in nets, ropes or fishing line; accidentally ingest
plastic or other foreign objects; suffer habitat loss, which occurs as a result of human
development, over harvesting of natural resources; or oil spills.
Park guests can learn more about SeaWorld’s rescue program by visiting the Rescue Plaza near
Shamu Stadium, where video screens play footage of marine animals that were given a second
chance at life. And, the public at large can tune it to “Sea Rescue,” which tells the stories of
marine animal rescue, rehabilitation and return by the SeaWorld rescue team and its partners.
Airing on ABC on Saturdays, the popular show is in its fifth season.
Unparalleled Access for Scientific Research
High-quality research is a key component of the park’s larger commitment to conservation.
SeaWorld® publishes peer-reviewed research, provides access to its animals for scientists
conducting studies on a variety of subjects, and funds and supports projects around the world
as part of the mission of the SeaWorld & Busch Gardens Conservation Fund.
Here are just some of the recent and current projects:
Killer whale milk study: New research is being conducted with killer whales at SeaWorld ®
San Diego to assess the dynamics of persistent organic pollutant transfer from female killer
whales to their calves during gestation and lactation. Dr. Dawn Noren, a research fishery
biologist with the National Marine Fisheries Service’s Northwest Fisheries Science Center in
Seattle, is studying milk and blood serum samples from Kalia, a lactating killer whale at
SeaWorld who gave birth to a calf in December 2014. By analyzing these samples, Noren is
assessing the transfer of compounds in milk from females to their calves during lactation.
Blood samples from Kalia’s calf, Amaya, are also being analyzed. It is hoped that this multiyear study will provide insight into one of the key risk factors identified for the endangered
Southern Resident killer whales in the Pacific Northwest.
Penguin dive study: Research physiologist Dr. Paul Ponganis from Scripps Institution of
Oceanography at University of California, San Diego is currently studying how emperor
penguins maneuver under water and what they eat, as part of a study approved by the
National Science Foundation. Ponganis attached backpack cameras to emperor penguins
(SeaWorld® San Diego has the only emperor breeding colony in the western hemisphere) in
February of 2015; after confirming that the penguins could easily swim with the cameras and
that the footage gathered was valuable, Ponganis can now take the experiment to the wild,
attaching the cameras to emperors in the Antarctic to learn more about their biology and how
the species is responding to climate change.
SEAWORLD CARES, 365 DAYS A YEAR
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Carbon monoxide study: It’s commonly known that the colorless, odorless gas known as
carbon monoxide is deadly at high levels, but new research shows it can actually be beneficial
in the right concentrations in marine mammals. Scientists at Scripps Institution of
Oceanography at University of California, San Diego, led by graduate student Michael Tift, are
studying levels of carbon monoxide in killer whales, pilot whales, beluga whales and dolphins
at SeaWorld® San Diego. This research advances understanding of diving physiology in
cetaceans and has application for advancing medical care in humans.
Killer whale heart monitor study: New research is being conducted with a killer whale at
SeaWorld® San Diego to evaluate cardiac function using a heart monitor adapted for the
marine environment. This work not only will benefit veterinarians’ diagnostic efforts, but may
be essential to improving cardiac monitoring of free ranging whales and understanding diving
physiology. Dr. Paul Ponganis, a research physiologist at Scripps Institution of Oceanography
at University of California, San Diego, is currently studying electrocardiograms and heart rate
of Corky, a 51-year-old killer whale, as well as other animals at the marine park. The study is
looking to develop reliable techniques to record electrocardiograms on whales while they are in
the water, document cardiac characteristics at rest and during exercise, and develop reliable
suction cup attachment techniques that can ultimately be applied to large whales in the wild.
SeaWorld’s scientific partner since park inception: Hubbs-SeaWorld Research Institute
(HSWRI) is a public, non-profit organization dedicated to providing effective solutions to
conflicts that arise between human activity and the marine world. HSWRI was founded in
1963, a year before SeaWorld® debuted as a marine-animal park on Mission Bay. Access to
SeaWorld's extensive marine zoological collection and superb facilities are unique assets that
provide the Institute with unparalleled opportunities to advance its public-trust mission “to
return to the sea some measure of the benefits derived from it.” HSWRI projects involving the
animals at SeaWorld, such as polar bear hearing studies, are providing information that would
be impossible to obtain in the wild. In 2015, Dr. Brent Stewart, HSWRI senior researcher,
attached satellite transmitters to several California sea lions and Guadalupe fur seals that had
been rescued and rehabilitated, for the purpose of gaining crucial data about where the two
species travel, spend time foraging for food, and ultimately thrive in the ocean.
Bye-Bye Plastic Bags!
In 2011, SeaWorld® San Diego eliminated the use of plastic bags in the park’s gift shops.
Plastic bags are a huge problem for certain species of sea turtles, especially leatherbacks,
which sometimes mistake the bags for jellyfish. As part of the park’s “Creating a Cleaner
World” program, guests can purchase either a paper bag or reusable bag when purchasing
items from the gift shops. Net proceeds from the purchase of paper shopping bags are donated
to Hubbs-SeaWorld Research Institute (HSWRI), while 5 percent of a reusable bag’s purchase
goes directly to the SeaWorld & Busch Gardens Conservation Fund. Paper shopping bags are
available for guests to purchase at the park’s gift shops at 10 cents each, and reusable
shopping bags for as low as 99 cents.
SeaWorld Continues to Advance Water Conservation
SeaWorld® San Diego has been advancing water conservation measures for the past several
years, and will continue these practices, which are even more important as the severe
California drought continues. In April 2015, SeaWorld implemented a saltwater flushing system
in its newest restroom replacement. The conversion has resulted in more than 1.5 million
gallons of water saved annually. Located near Shamu Stadium, the restroom facility is 3,000
square feet with 21 urinals and 34 water closets that contain individual partitioned toilets that
utilize salt water for flushing.
Since 2008, SeaWorld has engaged in a variety of initiatives to reduce water usage in the park.
In addition to the saltwater restroom project, the park purchased a Cyclone CY5500 and
Advance Ride-On Scrubber deep cleaning concrete device to clean its pathways, saving more
than a million gallons of fresh water annually.
The park also has introduced several other water-savings measures and operating standards,
including an increased installation of drought-tolerant plants, computerized irrigation
SEAWORLD CARES, 365 DAYS A YEAR
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controllers and 4,000 low-flow irrigation nozzles. SeaWorld also has increased the mulching of
landscape areas to conserve soil moisture, and replaced some lawn areas with artificial turf.
The increased use of high-pressure water machines, and high-efficiency, low-flow toilets and
sinks with aerated faucets in its restrooms also contributes to SeaWorld’s water conservation
efforts.
Elimination of Polystyrene Foam Products
SeaWorld® San Diego eliminated all polystyrene tableware and flatware in its restaurants and
employee cafeterias in the fall of 2013. With millions of meals served in the park each year,
the removal of polystyrene foam products is heralded as another important conservation and
environmental stewardship initiative by SeaWorld. Discarded polystyrene foam, which is not
biodegradable, ends up in local landfills, on beaches and in the ocean ecosystem. This pollution
can be extremely detrimental to marine animals. In all, more than 8 million individual pieces of
tableware and cutlery—plates, bowls, hot cups, forks, spoons and knives—were shifted to
compostable material. Bowls and plates are now made from molded fibers, flatware is now
made from cornstarch, and hot cups are made from recycled paper.
Breeding Successes
SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment® is a global leader in animal husbandry, training and
veterinary care, all of which have led to highly successful breeding programs of threatened and
non-threatened species. More than 80 percent of the marine mammals and birds in SeaWorld’s
care were born in the parks. SeaWorld® San Diego welcomed its newest addition to its family
of killer whales, a female calf, on Dec. 2, 2014. This latest birth marks the seventh successful
killer whale to be born at SeaWorld San Diego in its 52-year history, and the 29th successful
killer whale calf to be born across all SeaWorld parks since the program’s inception in 1985.
SeaWorld also is renowned for its successful penguin breeding program. Since 1980, more
than 600 penguin chicks have been hatched and raised at SeaWorld San Diego alone, including
the first-ever chinstrap and emperor penguins. SeaWorld aviculturists have had a worldwide
impact on pioneering techniques for rearing penguin chicks.
SeaWorld incorporates both natural breeding and assisted reproductive technologies within its
breeding program to maintain genetically diverse and sustainable populations in cooperation
with other accredited zoos. The SeaWorld and Busch Gardens Reproductive Research Center is
at the forefront of research for monitoring the reproductive health of marine animals in zoos
and in the wild, and has pioneered assisted breeding technologies including sperm cryobanking
(a form of biodiversity preservation) and artificial insemination for maximizing population
reproductive health and sustainability. Since the world’s first marine mammal, a killer whale,
was conceived through artificial insemination in 2000 at SeaWorld San Diego, more than 50
calves from four species of whales and dolphins have been born at SeaWorld parks and
collaborating zoos across the globe using this technique.
Sex predetermination using sperm sorting is another technology which has been pioneered in
the zoo field by the reproductive center’s scientists, and enables population sex ratios to be
similar to those in the wild. Twenty-nine pre-sexed bottlenose dolphin calves have been born
worldwide as a result of this research, and SeaWorld continues to advance sperm sorting and
sperm cryobanking technologies as conservation tools for threatened species at the
reproductive center’s state-of-the-art facilities. World-first hatchings also have occurred with
SeaWorld San Diego’s Magellanic penguin colony. The first artificial insemination chicks of any
penguin species (hatched in 2013) and the first using frozen semen (hatched in 2014) are on
display at the Penguin Encounter’s outdoor habitat of Magellanic penguins. SeaWorld’s
research is revealing new information on penguin reproductive biology and has important
implications for understanding and conserving wild populations.
Recycling Efforts
SeaWorld® San Diego continues to embrace initiatives that address some of today’s most
pressing environmental challenges in the areas of waste, water and food.
Every year SeaWorld recycles millions of pounds of paper and plastic products, metals,
greenery, food scraps, pallets, cooking oil, construction demolition debris and batteries, in
SEAWORLD CARES, 365 DAYS A YEAR
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addition to more traditional recyclable materials. Since 1996 the park has received San Diego’s
Recycler of the Year or Director’s award 18 times and is a nine-time recipient of the prestigious
State of California Waste Reduction Awards program.
Oiled Wildlife Care Center
SeaWorld® San Diego’s Oiled Wildlife Care Center (OWCC) was built to care for animals that
fall victim to oil spills. The 8,000-square-foot center was established in 2000 by SeaWorld San
Diego, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife and the University of California, Davis. It
includes examination, treatment and food preparation areas, an aviary and a 32,000-gallon
rehabilitation pool that can hold 20 oiled sea otters or pinnipeds in the event of an oil spill in
Southern California. The facility can treat as many as 200 oiled seabirds at a time.
Animal care specialists from SeaWorld’s bird, fish and mammal departments have received
Oiled Wildlife Care Network (OWCN) certification and annual training to care for oiled wildlife.
When the center is not being used for oil spill rescue, it houses rehabilitating marine mammals,
sea turtles and seabirds.
In May of 2015, SeaWorld’s team was called upon to assist with the rescue and rehabilitation
of marine animals affected by the Refugio Oil Spill in Santa Barbara, California. Members of
SeaWorld San Diego’s OWCN Response Team cared for oiled marine mammals at the park’s
OWCC and, in addition, members of the team were deployed to the spill zone to assist with
recovery efforts.
Education and Conservation
The education programs at SeaWorld® and Busch Gardens® have helped schools, teachers,
children and adults explore the world and all its inhabitants by providing award-winning
education programs that include structured teaching. There also are many informal teaching
experiences inside the parks: educators, show and exhibit narrations, and interpretive and
interactive graphics. SeaWorld’s Instructional Field Trip program offers students from preschool
through college an opportunity to use the parks as their own outdoor classroom.
“Shamu TV,” the Emmy award-winning environmental education series from SeaWorld and
Busch Gardens, brings viewers face to face with the wonders of wildlife. Online viewers have
the opportunity to watch an entire 30-minute episode or shorter, five- to 10-minute segments
featuring stories about amazing animals and the remarkable efforts of people working together
to save some of the world’s most endangered and threatened species.
“Shamu TV” is accessible in school classrooms via computer, and on-the-go through tablet and
hand-held devices via ShamuTV.com and YouTube. A “Teacher Toolbox” full of activities,
reference materials and resources to enhance lesson planning is available for teachers online.
“Shamu TV’s” Saving a Species series is produced by the SeaWorld/Busch Gardens Education
Departments.
For more information about how SeaWorld cares for the world we share, please visit
www.SeaWorldCares.com.
—SeaWorld—
Updated: February 2016